Cavaliers victorious in Orlando [10:53 p.m. EST]

by
Drum Corps International

The Cavaliers of Rosemont, Ill., came out victorious in Orlando last Saturday, scoring 81.30, defeating the Cadets of Bergen County, N.J., (78.40) and the Blue Devils of Concord, Calif.,(77.10) in this first contest that featured those three corps. A temperamental Florida summer storm threatened the skies most of the day and jeopardized the show up until a few minutes before the show was to begin. But the rain mostly held off, except for a few scattered drops early in the show."The corps did a great job. We're not 100 percent yet with our show and performance yet. I'm so proud of them. They're really true professionals," said Blue Devils corps director David Gibbs. Hometown favorites the Magic of Orlando (Division II), performing at their first major contest after a two-year hiatus, reveled in a loud ovation at the beginning of their program. They scored a 75.40. "We were very proud of the kids and the performance they put on for the hometown crowd," said Rod Owens, corps director of the Magic of Orlando. The crowd, estimated at more than 6,500 people, endured the full day of rain that eventually delayed the start of the show half an hour. "It was a hard day, being in and out of the rain all day," Blue Devils corps director David Gibbs said of the Blue Devils' time at the Citrus Bowl. "Our kids handled it really well," Gibbs said.The Blue Devils held a loud and raucous clinic for several thousand students earlier in the afternoon, during a heavy rain that forced the clinic under the cover of the Citrus Bowl stands. The clinic was initially supposed to take place on the field, but the constant rain drove the corps and the fans underneath. The Spirit of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala., scored 63.50, the Carolina Crown of Ft. Mill, N.C., scored 62.55 and the Kiwanis Kavaliers of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada scored 53.2. The Teal Sound (Division III) of Atlantic Beach, Fla., scored 49.8.